Putin Faces "Betrayal with a Knife in the Back"... Harsh Response Expected (Comprehensive)

Warning of Punishment for Participants in TV Speech
"Wagner Leader Betrayed by Personal Ambition" Declared

"We are witnessing a situation where a knife is being plunged into our backs. We are facing treason."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this on the 24th (local time) in a TV address regarding the armed rebellion by the mercenary company Wagner Group, warning, "Our response will be harsh, and those involved in the treason will be punished." He added, "Anyone who takes up arms against the military is a traitor," and "The Russian military has received the necessary orders to neutralize those who conspired in the treason."

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the 13th (local time) in Moscow with domestic media war correspondents, military bloggers, and Telegram channel operators.
[Photo by Moscow EPA·Sputnik Yonhap News]

President Putin defined Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, as having betrayed Russia out of personal ambition. He criticized, "Excessive ambition and greed have led to treason and betrayal of the motherland and the people," and "It is the motherland and the people who were the goals for the Wagner Group’s soldiers and commanders who fought and died alongside our military."

President Putin also acknowledged that those involved in the rebellion were unwillingly caught up in the situation, stating, "Now is the time for the unity of the entire military. We are fighting for the lives and safety of the people." He appealed, "I call on those who are being deceived. Any differences must be set aside during the special military operation."

The UK Ministry of Defence and foreign media reported that the Wagner Group began advancing north toward Moscow, seizing another southern city, Voronezh, following Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. Voronezh is a city about 500 km south of Moscow. The Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee declared an anti-terrorism operation regime in Voronezh along with Moscow on the same day. An arrest warrant was issued for Prigozhin. Earlier, the Wagner Group had taken control of the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, located in Russia’s southwestern Rostov Oblast, claiming that the Russian military had attacked them.

Regarding Rostov-on-Don, President Putin said, "The functioning of administrative bodies has practically stopped, and the situation is difficult," adding, "We will take resolute measures to stabilize the situation." He emphasized again, "We will do everything to protect Russia, and we will win and become stronger," and "All those responsible for the armed rebellion cannot escape punishment. They must be held accountable before the law and the people."

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the President of Ukraine, claimed about Prigozhin’s armed rebellion, "This is just the beginning." He added, "The division among the elites is so obvious that pretending everything is resolved will be useless," and predicted, "Either Prigozhin or the anti-Prigozhin faction will inevitably be defeated."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.